Thread: High BMI and general anaesthetic

Turns out my wisdom teeth grew sideways and need to come out... it can apparently be a complicated procedure so I'm being referred to a surgeon and told I will need to go under. I've never had any kind of operation before, and with all the warnings you hear from the medical profession on the dangers of a high BMI and general anaesthesia, this is playing quite heavily on my mind.

It's an added incentive to really knuckle down and focus on being 100% on SS so I can lose as much weight as possible beforehand... but I guess I'm just wondering if anyone else has had a general with a high BMI, and if you think it was any more complicated / difficult recovery because of your size?

I can't really answer your questions but I didn't want to read and run!

By January last year I was very badly crippled with a worn hip and twisted pelvis and my consultant said if I could lose a stone over the summer he would operate, and if I couldn't he would operate anyway. By the beginning of June I had lost only nine pounds, and then discovered Slim and Save. I did it for 4 months, though not 100%, and managed to lose over three stone more, and although still classed as obese was considered healthy enough to have the choice of a spinal block and be awake, or a general anaesthetic.

I know this isn't really comparable with your problems, but just wanted to let you know that if you can get into the right mindset, Slim and Save is going to be so beneficial to you anyway, whatever you decide, and I'm sure your surgeon will be the best person to advise. Make sure you have all the questions you want to ask him written down - with the stress of the unknown, it's so easy to forget!

Anyway, I hope all goes well, and I shall be interested to read any follow up x

I've had a few. I don't tolerate GA's very well but I've no idea if that's because of my size or I just don't tolerate them - not had one when I've been thinner (cause I've not been thinner!). However, that's just my experience. GA's are administered 24/7 to every size and shape going, and they are safe. If there was any risk to you at all, you wouldn't be offered one, you'd be offered an alternative. I know this for sure as my Dad has had 3 knee replacements without GA - he's had them on spinal block with sedation offered too (he declined the sedation and wanted to watch!) as they've had issues in the past with GA's with him. He's only had GA's for open heart surgery, and really there isn't much of an alternative to be offered there

I'm no anaesthetist but it does tend to make intubation harder due to the extra fat round the throat. I've intubated and been there for the operations of a number of larger people and from memory we didn't have any complications. It does however increase risk of complications with the anaesthetic and I would imagine the potential of delayed healing.